Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 8]
& the other extending the existing narrow gauge railway system further forward. The enemy shelling increased in intensity at this time & consequently rendered the work more difficult besides increasing casualties. Needle dump where most of our material was stored & where the railway had terminated was a particularly nasty spot. In spite of this & the bad weather conditions which still prevailed excellent progress was being made with both trenches & railway when on Mar 17th the enemy suddenly withdrew all along our front.
This of course, for the Pioneers meant more hard work for the strip of country about 3 miles wide, either side of the front line was trackless & roadless, & had to be traversed by the Armies. This was realized but so great was the moral uplift given by this retirement that all cheerfully faced the new tasks ahead. For all the plugging & hard work of the past, some big tangible result was evident. In 2 days a duckwalk track 1 mile long was laid across this country for infantry use, & in 3 days the existing trench tramway was extended thro' to Beaulencourt, an extension of some 3 miles – most of the rail for this purpose was taken from other tramways not now required. From Mar 24th the Battalion controlled a mule tramway, hauling stores & ammunition by this line by mules to Beaulencourt, 100 tons of material being shifted daily. This occupied 2 Coys, one conducting the operation & the other the maintenance. The other 2 Coys were employed in further railway extensions under the Corps. Battalion Headquarters had in the meantime moved from Waterlot Farm to near Gueudecourt, then on to [Reincourt?] (near Bapaume) & later to Fremicourt.
As the Railway work was completed, attention was diverted to Roads & among other works the Battalion filled a large mine crater (80 ft dia. x 30ft deep) in the Main Cambrai road & a brick & log road made over the top. A number of strong points, 18 in all, were also dug in the neighbourhood of Vaulx-Vraucourt. On 20th April the Divisional was relieved including the Pioneers who were sent back to repair the road thro' Flers over which the Divisional Transport had to pass. This was done & on the afternoon of April 21st the battalion